The rich detail and color of carved cinnabar were the inspiration for this hat (for the coordinating scarf, see the December 2006 issue of MagKnits), which showcases a modified version of the “Double Ribbed Mock Cable” (DRMC) from Barbara Walker’s 4th Treasury of Knitting Patterns. In the pictured hat, the stitch pattern is used both horizontally, for a wide band which wraps around the head, and vertically, from band to crown, but directions are also included for a hat without the horizontal band, which omits the somewhat time-consuming step of picking up stitches along the band.

Difficulty
Intermediate; skills include provisional cast-on and grafting (both optional); picking up stitches (for pictured version); increases, decreases and reading chart.

Materials
Yarn: Sundara Yarns hand-dyed DK Silky Merino (50% silk/50% merino wool; 250 yds/229 m per 100 gm skein); #012; 1 skein.
Needles: 1 set US #5 / 3.75 mm double-pointed (dp) needles OR SIZE TO OBTAIN GAUGE. Optional: 1 16-inch circular needle, US #5/ 3.75 mm OR SIZE TO OBTAIN GAUGE; smaller needle(s) for picking up stitches along band.
Notions: Tapestry needle.

Suggested Yarn Substitutions: Blue Sky “Alpaca & Silk”; Anny Blatt “Kanpur” (100% silk); Knit Picks “Elegance” (alpaca & silk).

Sizes & Measurements
S: 14 in/36 cm unstretched; up to 18.5 in/47 cm stretched
M: 16 in/41 cm unstretched; up to 21 in/54 cm stretched
L: 18 in/46 cm unstretched; up to 24 in/61 cm stretched
Wear one size up for a looser fit; size L hat pictured on size M head.

Notes
Directions for provisional cast-on and grafting may be found in Vogue Knitting, the glossary of Interweave Knits, or in a number of other knitting resources. When picking up stitches around band to purl, insert needle through edge stitches from back to front instead of from front to back.